Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 5:41 PM ET

Mega Buyouts & Take-Private Deals

Apollo has launched a £5.7bn recommended offer to take easy Jet private, marking one of the largest European leveraged buyouts this year. Bernhard Capital agreed to acquire Bowman Consulting for $1bn, with a 35-day go-shop period allowing the engineering firm to solicit rival bids. I Squared Capital is taking oOh!media private in a $733m enterprise-value deal that offers a 100% premium to shareholders. New Mountain will acquire fire-safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon, adding mission-critical engineering and consulting capabilities to its portfolio.

Strategic Investments & Minority Stakes

CPP Investments is committing approximately $143m for a 49.5% interest in two landmark Hilton hotels in Brazil. KKR has closed a strategic equity investment in Crowe Advisory, the tax and advisory arm of the global accounting network. VSS took a minority stake in Cordoba, betting that AI will be a net positive for infrastructure transformation rather than displacing it. Provectus Capital made its Romanian debut by acquiring a majority stake in Seatbelt Consulting, the country’s largest occupational health and safety firm.

Fundraising & LP Activity

StepStone has surpassed $21bn in private wealth assets under management, with its SPRING vehicle attracting nearly $1.7bn in subscriptions during the quarter. Brookfield raised a record $77bn in the second quarter, led by private equity, infrastructure, and credit franchises. Korea’s Employment Insurance Fund plans to commit ₩120bn to blind-pool private equity and venture capital funds for 2026. Global unicorn counts in the first half of 2026 have already surpassed 2025’s full-year total, with 195 new unicorns minted.

Deal Flow & Sector Trends

Private equity dealflow recorded its worst second quarter since 2020, led by a steep drop in TMT transactions. Secondaries divergence is accelerating, with continuation fund activity outstripping traditional secondaries as general partners seek longer holds. The Spanish mid-market is drawing increasing interest from dealmakers as family-owned businesses approach succession decisions. A wave of major AI IPO liquidity could return significant capital to limited partners, potentially fueling a new venture fundraising cycle.

AI & Tech Ecosystem

A leadership shakeup at DeepMind is testing the UK’s ambitions to remain a global AI hub. DeepMind’s future has become all the more critical for the British technology ecosystem amid intensifying competition. In healthcare AI, Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning said he is “not here to be acquired,” signaling a focus on building the company independently.